High Street, Stanford In The Vale, SN7

With a truly flexible layout and 3,358 sq ft of floor space, it’s big enough for the largest family and enjoys the bonus of a converted stable block, currently divided and used as a large en-suite bedroom and separate workshop, plus an ultra-useful modern garden studio – it’s currently used as a gym.

Other desirable facets include a beautifully light-filled and spacious extended kitchen/diner and a glamorous principal bedroom suite that’s chic enough to grace any boutique hotel.

Ascot House has been pivotal to the day-to-day life of Stanford in the Vale since it was constructed in 1870 and became the village bakery. Later, it was a grocery store and, after that, an antiques shop. It’s enviably handy location at the heart of this well-served village is within a short walk of the Co-Op store, pub, coffee shop, primary school, social club, village hall and church.

Harking back to the past

Indicative of this handsome red-brick residence’s former role is the centrally positioned front door flanked by a pair of large shop windows, each with three arched panes – it’s easy to imagine when it was a bakery with the loaves and sticky buns temptingly displayed! The four sash windows on the two floors above were bespoke and installed ten years ago.

With six bedrooms in the main house and another in the converted stable block, Ascot House is blessed with considerable sleeping options. Using stud walls, two extra-large bedrooms on the first and second floors have been divided into four bedrooms. However, if preferred it would be a simple matter to revert to the original layout.

To the rear of the property there’s ample parking space for six cars or more on the gravelled driveway which has gated access to the pretty courtyard garden and a door into the kitchen – the current owners use this as their main entrance.

The stables conversion (34x16ft) overlooks the drive and, with further alterations and subject to any necessary planning permission, could potentially become a totally self-contained annexe. This has a variety of potential uses - a home office, a granny annexe or a rental option – there’s considerable interest in AirBnB holiday lets in this picturesque part of Oxfordshire a few miles from the iconic White Horse Hill and the Ridgeway Path.

The modern 22x14ft studio basks in loads of natural light thanks to an expanse of bifolds and is sited facing the large garden and beyond the drive that’s laid to lawn and edged with mature trees and shrubs.

Family living at its finest

Entered from the street, the front door opens directly into the welcoming 20x16ft living room. This was the original shop and it exudes heritage charm with high ceilings, picture rails and wooden floors. In the winter the family can gather round the woodburning stove which keeps the room toasty warm. Ascot House also has oil-fired central heating.

Behind the sitting room there’s a cosy snug (20x8ft) exuding more of that Victorian character – the focus is an open fireplace flanked by arched display alcoves.

Adjoining this is the kitchen/diner, and it’s the delightful hub of day-to-day family life. An extension to the side has added valuable floor space and plentiful natural light via four skylights and it’s the perfect place for a farmhouse table, possibly seating up to 12 if desired. There’s French doors to the pretty courtyard garden creating a link for summertime al fresco suppers and entertaining guests.

The teal blue fitted kitchen with terracotta floor tiles has a large central island, solid wood worktops and a Rangemaster stove with electric oven and gas hob. In the adjoining utility/boot room there’s a cloakroom with WC, plumbing for laundry appliances, overflow pantry storage and space to discard muddy boots after countryside rambles – there are two doors to the garden.

Restful sleep assured

The principal bedroom suite on the first floor is a real showstopper and a restful haven for grown-ups craving their own space and peace, away from the children! It was built above the kitchen/utility room and is luxuriously spacious, featuring a dressing area lined with built-in wardrobes and a glamorous freestanding white bath-tub. This flows open-plan into the light and airy bedroom with its French doors to a Juliet balcony. There’s also an en-suite shower room.

Also on this floor there’s two large additional double bedrooms plus a family bathroom. Up on the second floor are three further bedrooms, two of which have stud walls to create a separate shower room between them. All three of them are of a good size and one has an original (unused) fireplace.

A garden of easy-care delights

Privately enclosed by fencing topped with trellis, the compact gravelled courtyard garden is a delightful spot for summertime relaxation and dining around a table in the shade of the trees.

The current owners like to entertain on the additional garden, accessed via a five-bar gate and located in front of the studio. In the gardens there are also two sheds, a bike store and a lean-to log store.

Round and about

Friendly Stanford in the Vale was the childhood home of the humorous poet and TV presenter Pam Ayres – she was the youngest of six children born and brought up here.

Everything is right on the doorstep in this lively large village. The local Co-Op sells all the everyday necessities while Stanford Coffee Shop, next door, serves everything from breakfast and lunch to coffee and cake, and is very popular. There are two hair salons too.

The village local is the 600-year-old Horse & Jockey and further drinks and entertainment are on offer at the social club and in the village hall which hosts a busy weekly programme of events and runs a regular film club.

Stanford in the Vale boasts great accessibility being just a few miles from the A420 with direct access to Oxford and Swindon, and to the West Country and Wales via the M4. Mainline rail services to London Paddington run from Swindon and Didcot Parkway stations.

It’s a short walk to Stanford in the Vale Primary School, Ofsted-rated good. Nearby private schools include Pinewood, St Hugh’s and Radley.

The nearest town is Faringdon where secondary schooling, also Ofsted-rated good, is offered at Faringdon Community College. There’s also a choice of independent shops, pubs, leisure centre and supermarkets including Waitrose, Aldi and Tesco.

If you fancy a pint and a meal, the choice of pubs is superb. Highly rated eateries nearby include The Sparsholt at Sparsholt, The Greyhound at Letcombe Regis, The White Hart at Fyfield and The Double Red Duke at Clanfield.

Gorgeous countryside walks, cycling and riding are a must and an undoubted treat amid the rural bliss of South Oxfordshire and, of course, the National Trust’s White Horse Hill at Uffington is a great place to visit. In fact, the National Trust owns a variety of attractions around here including beautiful Buscot Park. Golfers are spoilt for choice with two courses – Wrag Barn and Shrivenham Park – in the near vicinity.